Improvement in pencil-sharpeners



PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL HOFFMAN, 0F FoTTsvILLE,PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN PENCIL-SHARPENE'RS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 129,956, dated July 30, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL HOFFMAN, of Pottsville, in the county of Schuylkill and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in Pencil-Sharpeners and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to th annexed drawing making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the drawing is a representationl of a front view of my invention. Fig.f2 is a planview of the same on an enlarged scale.

Fig. 3 is a front viewwith plate E removed.

Figs. 4, 5, and 6 are details.

This invention has relation to lead-pencil Sharpeners; and the novelty consists in the combination, with ahollow conical knife for shaping the wood, of a rough surface inclosed between metal lips, and used for the purpose of pointing andnishing the lead, as hereinafter described.

Referring to the drawing, A represents `sents a strip of metal, having one of its ends bent to form a hollow cone, a, with a longitudinal opening at b. B designates a knife, secured to the strip or plate A, its edge entering the cone through the opening b. The knife is slotted at c, to render it adjustable, and is secured by screws d, so that it may be removed for the purpose of being sharpened. E represents a plate, covering the knife, and held by `the screws d. Said plate is designed for the purpose of preventing the knife from becoming loose, but does not form an essential ele-` ment of my invention. F represents a strip or plate of metal secured to `the back part of the plate A at a'distance therefrom sufficient to admit of the arrangement of two pieces of emof the strip F, on aline with Vthe point of the cone, may be hanged, so as to overlap the edge of the strip A.

After the end of the pencil has been cut in the cone, the pencil is to be taken hold of near the point by the thumb and fore-linger, and the projecting lead inserted between the pieces of emery-paper, and, by proper manipulation, iinished ott' to as ine a point as may be desired. The point may be made either Wedgeshaped or conical, according to the manner in which itis moved between the rough surfaces.

Between the emery-paper and the plates A F pieces of soft cloth d2 or other cushon-likematerial may be advantageously placed. The effeet will be to allow the emery-paper to give, and thus prevent the lead from bein gbroken. When the emery-paper becomes worn and useless, it may bereplaced by new material, the plateF being, for this purpose, removed by loosening the screw e.

I claim as my invention- The lead-pencil Sharpener, consisting of the plateA,bent at one end into conical form, the slotted adjustable knife B, screws alv c, the bent plate F, having oblique inner edge, and the cushioned emery-leaves d1, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL HOFFMAN. Witnesses: WM. R. SMITH, CHAs. FRAILEY. 

